From mid-2003 to early 2004, ACS helped Arizona Public Service Company (APS) track, investigate, and review permit issues with the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) regarding cooling water blowdown discharges from the APS Yucca Power Plant to the Main Outlet Drain Extension (MODE) Canal near Yuma, Arizona. Reclamation’s proposed change to their MODE Canal maintenance procedure included a plan to discharge MODE water to the Colorado River, which required Reclamation to seek a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for their discharges. As a result, APS’ discharge to the MODE Canal would also be subject to NPDES permit requirements. APS was able to negotiate an agreement with Reclamation whereby APS would not need to obtain an NPDES permit if APS ceased its discharges to the MODE from a period shortly before the MODE was taken out of service for maintenance until the MODE was once again back in service.
